Fish Hatchery Technician - AmeriCorps

Conservation Legacy; Whiteriver (AZ); On-site; USD 17,000 - 25,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

On-site housing available

Job summary

Conservation Legacy is seeking a Fish Hatchery Technician for the AmeriCorps Stewards program hosted at Alchesay National Fish Hatchery in Whiteriver, AZ. The role supports water quality monitoring, fish health, and stocking operations for 17 tribes across AZ and NM.

You will work with a hatchery team on daily husbandry, data collection, and event coordination, gaining hands-on experience in federal aquaculture and conservation programs while serving a 26-week 900-hour term.

Qualifications

• Must be a member of a Federally recognized Indian Tribe, Band, or Village.
• US citizen, national, or lawful permanent resident.
• Has a high school diploma or equivalent; or agrees to obtain before service.
• Agree to background checks for Conservation Legacy and the host site.
• Punctuality and consistent attendance throughout term.
• Interest in conservation biology and resource management.
• Must be 18 years of age or older.

Responsibilities

• Monitor water quality and quantity across the hatchery complex.
• Collect, enter, and QC data on fish health, growth, survival, and feed efficiency.
• Participate in spawning, incubation, rearing, feeding, grading, and stocking of fish.
• Involve in stocking operations: loading, transport prep, field support as needed.
• Develop standardized data sheets and summaries for monitoring and reporting.
• Assist with health observations, biosecurity measures, and daily husbandry protocols.
• Complete assigned facility maintenance and operational tasks to improve efficiency.

Skills

Teamwork

Punctuality

Attention to detail

Strong communication

Education

High School Diploma or equivalent

Preference for related coursework/degree

Job description

Position Title: Fish Hatchery Technician- AmeriCorps

Conservation Legacy Program: Stewards Individual Placements

Site Location

Alchesay National Fish Hatchery

8602 N Alchesay NFH Rd

Whiteriver, AZ 85941

Application Timeline: Preference given to applicants who submit applications by 12/1/2026. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

Terms of Service

• Ideal Start Date: January 18, 2027
• End Date: July 16, 2027
• AmeriCorps Slot Classification: 900 hour, 26 weeks

Purpose

Stewards Individual Placements (Stewards), a program of Conservation Legacy, provides individuals with AmeriCorps service and career opportunities to strengthen communities and preserve our natural resources. Participants serve with federal agencies, tribal governments, and nonprofits to provide institutional capacity, develop community relationships, and support ecosystem health. Stewards partners with the Bureau of Indian Affairs to facilitate the WaterCorps Program to provide opportunities to federally enrolled Tribal Members seeking to gain experience in the water resources field. This WaterCorps position will be hosted by the Alchesay National Fish Hatchery, who is seeking a Fish Hatchery Technician.

The Fish Hatchery Technician is an AmeriCorps position that will monitor water quality and quantity, monitor fish health and care for Apache, Brook, Brown, and Rainbow trouts raised throughout the Alchesay-Williams Creek National Fish Hatchery Complex, and assist with fish stocking activities that support 17 tribes and pueblos across Arizona and New Mexico. The complex stocks over 700,000 trout annually in support of tribal fisheries programs across the region and plays a vital role in fisheries management and ecotourism for our partner tribes.

The Technician will be part of a collaborative hatchery team and is expected to demonstrate a positive, can-do attitude, strong work ethic, adaptability, and willingness to assist wherever needed to support fish health, staff safety, and mission success. By the end of the position, the Technician will have contributed directly to improved production tracking, fish health monitoring, and operational efficiency while gaining hands-on experience in federal aquaculture and conservation programs.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service mission is working with others to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The Technician will directly support this mission by collaborating with partner tribes to improve sportfishing opportunities across the lands that they manage while maintaining water quality and availability associated with fish production activities.

Description of Duties

• The Fish Hatchery Technician will help the Alchesay-Williams Creek National Fish Hatchery Complex support the recreational fisheries of 17 tribes and pueblos across Arizona and New Mexico. The technician will be part of the Alchesay-Williams Creek NFH Complex hatchery crew that produces and stocks approximately 700,000 trout annually into more than 85 lakes and streams supporting:
  • Recovery and sustainability of native and sensitive fish populations
  • Improved aquatic ecosystem health and variety of species
  • Enhanced water quality and balanced fish population management
  • Fulfillment of Tribal Trust Responsibilities through reliable fish production and stocking for 17 Tribes and Pueblos
  • Recreational fisheries that support rural economies and community well‑being
• The selected candidate will support fish hatchery operations and aquatic resource conservation activities at the Alchesay-Williams Creek National Fish Hatchery Complex. Expected products and outcomes include:
  • Monitoring water quality and quantity across the complex and within each rearing unit.
  • Collection, entry, and quality control of biological data related to fish health, growth rates, survival, and feed efficiency (hard copy and digital).
  • Participation in fish culture activities including spawning support, egg incubation monitoring, rearing, feeding, grading, and preparation of fish for stocking.
  • Direct involvement in fish stocking operations, including loading, transport preparation, and field support when appropriate.
  • Development of standardized data sheets and summaries to support hatchery population monitoring and production reporting.
  • Assistance with fish health observations, biosecurity measures, and implementation of daily husbandry protocols.
  • Completion of assigned facility maintenance and operational support tasks to improve hatchery efficiency and reliability.
• The typical schedule is from 7:00 am to 3:30 pm (five eight-hour days each week, with a half-hour unpaid lunch break each day) and can include Saturdays and Sundays. A rotating schedule is established during orientation.

Qualifications

• Must be a member of a Federally recognized Indian Tribe, Band, or Village; Alaska Native; or meet one of the following descriptions:
  • Persons who possess at least one-half degree Indian blood derived from Tribes Indigenous to the United States.
  • Descendants of Members of Federally recognized Indian Tribes, Bands or Communities who were residing on any Indian Reservation on June 1, 1934 – shown by providing information asked on a BIA Form 4432.
• United States citizen, United States national, or a lawful permanent resident alien.
• Has received a high school diploma or equivalency certificate; or has not dropped out of secondary school to enroll as an AmeriCorps participant and agrees to obtain a high school diploma or its equivalent prior to using the education award.
• Agrees to provide information to establish eligibility and to complete National Service Criminal History Checks for Conservation Legacy and the host site.
• Punctuality and consistent attendance for duration of term.
• Strong attention to organization and detail.
• Interest in conservation biology, endangered species, and resource management.
• Must be 18 years of age or older.

Preferred Qualifications

• Teamwork oriented with clear, direct communication and interpersonal skills
• 21 years of age with a valid driver’s license. Applicants can be between the ages of 18 – 20 if they have held a valid driver’s license for 3 consecutive years. Applicants with no driver’s license are still encouraged to apply but will not be able to drive agency vehicle
• Degree in a related field (Environmental Science, Biology, Ecology, etc.).
• Wilderness First Aid (WFA) or Wilderness First Responder (WFR) certified.

Additional Position and Community Information

• The hatchery complex is located in a rural area in east-central Arizona and has units near McNary (population ~1,000) and Whiteriver (population ~4,500), Arizona. Both are small communities on the Fort Apache Indian Reservation, homeland of the White Mountain Apache Tribe. On-site housing may be available for the selected candidate. Otherwise, there are many housing options in nearby Pinetop, AZ (population ~4,200). Both Pinetop and Whiteriver have typical small town amenities including grocery stores, movie theaters, medical clinics, and hospitals.
• Although a personal vehicle is not mandatory, it is preferred.

Our Commitment

Conservation Legacy is committed to the full consideration of all qualified individuals and will ensure that persons with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations to perform essential job functions. Physical requirements may include periodic overnight travel, non-traditional work hours, ability to move across varied terrain, use program-specific tools and a range of technology on an infrequent or frequent basis. Exerting up to 25 pounds of force occasionally to lift, carry, push, pull, or otherwise move objects. The ability to safely drive an organizational vehicle may also be required for some positions. If you need assistance and/or reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application or recruiting process, please send a request to Vanessa Morrison at [e-mail].

Time Requirements

• Typically, this position is expected to serve full time each week, but exact service schedules may vary according to project needs. Lunch breaks and days off will not be counted towards AmeriCorps service hour accumulation.
• Member must complete all required service hours to obtain the AmeriCorps Education Award.
• Member may be required to participate in national, state, or local service projects or events